Spencer Michaelis

Continuing our 2023 top prospect rankings, we examine prospects 11-15 in the Milwaukee Brewers system, which again displays the pitching depth within the farm. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports While the top of the Brewers prospect list heavily features upper minors hitting, the back half of the top 20 shows that the Brewers pitching machine is still something to reckon with. While none of the following prospects are blue chippers, Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff weren't elite prospects for most of their run through the minors, either, especially the lower minors. It was only as they approached the Major Leagues did they emerge as the promising arms they are today. Let's take a look at prospects 11-15, as compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. 15. Stiven Cruz Age: 21 2022 Stats (A/A+): 91.1 IP, 3.74 ERA, 10.75 K/9, 2.36 BB/9 A 2021 IFA signing, Cruz began his 2022 season in Low-A Carolina. He was bitten by the home run ball but still showed a ton of good qualities during his time there, striking out over 11 per 9 and walking only 2.27 per nine innings. He received a late-season promotion to High-A Wisconsin, which couldn’t have gone much better than it did. He struck out over a batter an inning, still limited walks, and also limited the homers (although only in a 19-inning sample). Cruz has a very slight frame that makes him very projectable and should allow him to add some velocity to what is currently a low-90s fastball. He throws a big, slow curve similar to a Zach Greinke type of curveball, which has yielded promising results. Cruz also throws an above-average changeup to go along with a decent slider as well. Cruz will likely begin 2023 back in High-A, where he could move relatively quickly to Double-A Biloxi if he starts 2023 the way he finished 2022. 14. Robert Moore Age: 20 2022 Stats (Rook/A): 143 PAs, .248/.343/.392, 3 HR, 16 RBI Moore was the Brewers' third selection in the 2022 draft. A very young, draft-eligible college player with a lot of big game experience and being the son of long-time MLB executive Dayton Moore, Moore is known to have great makeup. After a very productive sophomore season, Moore was viewed as a likely first-round pick, having shown plenty of power in the bat and an ability to limit strikeouts and draw walks. He took a step back in all three of those departments in his 2022 season. And he ended up having a more mediocre junior season. Despite that, the 2021 campaign shows the ability he has. Moore is a very sound defender that will likely be good enough to handle short and be very good at second base, as his arm is good enough to handle shortstop and is above average at second base. Moore showed a very aggressive baserunning mindset in his pro debut, often attempting to stretch singles into doubles and going first to third on singles. He’s not the fastest guy on the field, but he has above-average speed. He cuts the bases well and shows good instincts, making him an above-average baserunner overall. After a strong offensive showing for the Brisbane Bandits this offseason, Moore has a good chance to begin in High-A with the Timber Rattlers this season, where he could seemingly move quickly if he succeeds. 13. Abner Uribe Age: 22 2022 Stats (AA): 3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 12.00 K/9, 12.00 BB/9 (lol) Uribe is another former international signee out of the Dominican Republic. Featuring a fastball that has reached 103 MPH, many would assume that the fastball is his best pitch. In reality, his slider is the pitch that has helped him have the most success. Having had some injury issues throughout his career, Uribe’s Arizona Fall League stint was highly encouraging. He limited walks better than before and still showed enormous velocity, often reaching triple digits. As mentioned, the slider was a great pitch for him and was highly effective in the AFL. The fastball doesn’t have the best movement characteristics, which could cause him some issues at the major league level despite the huge velocity. It will be interesting to see if Uribe perhaps goes the Edwin Diaz route and uses his slider as his primary offering. It allows him to use the huge velocity as his “off-speed" offering. It seems likely that a healthy Uribe will see some innings with the big league club this season. 12. Hendry Mendez Age: 19 2022 Stats (A): 446 PAs, .244/.357/.318, 5 HR, 39 RBI Mendez was signed out of Venezuela as part of the Brewers 2021 IFA class. Playing his entire 2022 season in Low-A, Mendez’s surface numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page. However, he played the entire season in full-season ball at 18 and was still essentially a league-average bat, with a nearly even strikeout-to-walk ratio. Mendez rarely appears overmatched and has a very mature approach at the plate. He has decent raw power, but to get to some of it in-game, he will likely require a swing change as his current swing path is considered “choppy.” Mendez was not great as a baserunner last year, having been caught more times than he was successful. He is a good athlete for his 6’2” frame, but base stealing doesn’t appear part of his package moving forward. Mendez is also a solid defender with an above-average arm and will likely remain in the right field. The profile will be carried by the bat, though. If he can tap into his raw strength with a swing adjustment while still maintaining his borderline elite bat-to-ball skills, he could be top of the order type of offensive player. There is a good chance Mendez will be pushed again this year and begin in High-A Wisconsin. 11. Carlos F. Rodriguez Age: 21 2022 Stats (A/A+): 107.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 10.78 K/9, 3.34 BB/9 Rodriguez was the Brewers' sixth-round selection in the 2021 draft. After a slow start in Low-A, Rodriguez got himself going and earned a mid-season promotion to High-A. What he did at Wisconsin was extremely impressive, posting an ERA of 1.98 and a K/9 of 11.1 to only 3.2 BB/9, including his penultimate start of the season, where he threw six perfect innings with nine strikeouts. Rodriguez features three above-average or better pitches in his fastball, which sits in the 92-94 range but has touched 96, his sharp slider, and much slower changeup. He also throws a curve, which is more of a “get me over” offering when he tosses that in, but it is a fringe-average offering as well, with time to develop. He commands all of the off-speed pitches pretty well, able to land all of them for strikes and generate chases when the opportunity is right. Brewers fans hoping to get a look at Rodriguez will be happy to hear that he will be taking part in the World Baseball Classic this spring (playing for team Nicaragua). Assuming he does get an opportunity to see some innings, it will be great for a young pitcher to face experienced offensive players. A Double-A assignment to start the 2023 season doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibilities for Rodriguez. What do you think, Brewer Fanatics? Who are your 11-15 prospects? Leave a comment below and let us know! Previous Installments Brewers Top 16-20 Prospects View full article

Appreciate it! Peguero is definitely an interesting arm. He looks somewhat similar to Jandel Gustave to me, at least in terms of his profile and being sinker/slider guys. He's probably a fringe big leaguer, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him help the team the next few years.

Welcome to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! Starting with prospects 16-20, we'll see a lot of new names and a lot of promising young arms. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports With new players populating the list from the low minors and offseason acquisitions, one can walk away from this list hopeful of where the Brewers organization is today and where it is going shortly. With several players preparing to leave via free agency in the next two years, help will need to come from the farm. Here are some of the most promising names you might still need to become more familiar with. Let's take a look at the first installment of 16-20 prospects, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. 20. Alexander Cornielle Age: 21 2022 Stats (A/A+): 119.0 IP, 3.03 ERA, 10.97 K/9, 4.46 BB/9 Initially signed in 2019, Cornielle received a bump in 2021 to Low-A Carolina to close the season. He began the 2022 season back in Carolina before a mid-season promotion to High-A Wisconsin. Though he’s a bit taller than Freddy Peralta, Cornielle’s profile resembles that of Peralta’s. Cornielle doesn’t throw the hardest or have the “nastiest” secondaries, but he still shows an ability to get a lot of swing and miss, particularly with elevated fastballs. While the fastball shape differs from Peralta’s, Cornielle gets a good amount of run on his fastball. In contrast, Freddy’s primary fastball is a bit straighter; Cornielle appears to get a good extension which helps him replicate the “disappearing fastball” that Freddy is known for. An intriguing arm to follow next year, Cornielle could be a breakout candidate within the organization. 19. Janson Junk Age: 27 2022 Stats (AAA): 73.2 IP, 4.64 ERA, 8.43 K/9, 2.20 BB/9 A former 22nd-round pick, it’s funny to think that Junk would likely not have been drafted under the current 20-round setup. Despite facing long odds, Junk has worked his way up the ladder to make his Major League debut, with a few different organizational stops along the way. After being traded from the Yankees to the Angels in 2021, Junk was moved for a second time this offseason. Considered the prize of the Hunter Renfroe trade, Junk was a more valuable piece than his last name may imply. His best pitch is his slider, which has shown flashes of being an above-average to plus pitch at the major league level. The Angels seemed to tinker with the pitch a bit last year and didn’t show the same movement level as in the past. The Brewers likely have had him in the lab this offseason and will work to get that pitch to live up to its potential. Junk rounds out his repertoire with a high spin, low-velocity fastball, an average curveball, and a changeup that lags behind his other pitches. Junk will likely see a few starts at the major league level this season, and if not, he will almost certainly be seeing time in the major league bullpen. 18. Ethan Small Age: 26 2022 Stats (AAA): 103.0 IP, 4.46 ERA, 9.96 K/9, 5.07 BB/9 The Brewers' 2019 first-round pick, Small, is best described as having decent stuff and a profile that has always been driven by pitchability and command. He still shows plenty of flashes of the pitchability, though his command has regressed dramatically as he climbed the organizational ladder. He’s a data-driven pitcher with a fastball that plays well up in the zone and knows how to use it. His changeup is his best pitch, and it could still be a big weapon for him. He has been working to find a breaking ball for years and can’t seem to find the right one yet. Small made his MLB debut during the 2022 season. As far as debuts go, it could’ve been worse, as he went 2.2 IP with 2 ER (though he did walk four as well). That outing was always expected to be a “one and done” situation, and he would return to AAA after the game. Once Small did return to AAA, the results were not very good. The command issues reared their ugly head in a major way, and he was never able to get back on track. From the start of June through the end of the season, Small posted a 5.89 ERA and walked 5.15 per 9 innings in AAA. Many viewed Small as having reliever risk, even going back to that 2019 draft, due to a lower velocity fastball and concern over hitters seeing him multiple times. Barring the command he showed at the lower levels making a sudden reappearance, the multi-inning reliever route does feel like his best chance at a prolonged MLB career. 17. Jace Avina Age: 19 2022 Stats (Rook/A): 268 PAs, .271/.392/.557, 15 HR, 54 RBI The Brewers 14th round selection in 2021 out of Spanish Springs High School in Nevada, Avina burst onto the scene early in the 2022 Arizona Complex League season, hitting ten home runs in 36 games. He finished that stretch with an absurd 183 wRC+ and earned a promotion to Low-A Carolina, where the offense didn’t slow down, at least initially. In his first game in Carolina, he hit two home runs. He followed that game up with another home run and a triple. He finally ran into a rough stretch after that, which can be attributed to the one primary concern he has. Avina strikes out at a very high rate. Despite that, Avina features a very clean-looking swing that appears adjustable. He hit balls hard in every quadrant of the zone throughout the year. So it seems to be the swing decisions that are the driving factor behind the high strikeout rates, more than his bat-to-ball skills overall. Avina is a good defender who can handle center field, with a strong throwing arm and above-average speed. The entire profile is very exciting. If Avina can improve his strikeout rates and swing decisions, this could be a rising star in prospect circles. 16. Luis Lara Age: 18 2022 Stats (Rook): 229 PAs, .260/.341/.385, 2 HR, 21 RBI Lara was one of the bigger signings for the Brewers in last year’s international free-agent class. After getting off to a scalding hot start in the DSL, he slowed down dramatically for a few weeks before a strong finish. Lara’s 2022 stats aren’t super exciting, but a 12% K-Rate and 9% BB-Rate are great signs for a player his age. Despite his diminutive stature, Lara has a chance for above-average power from both sides of the plate. Combine that with his bat-to-ball skills; there’s a good chance that Lara also ends up with an above-average hit tool. Scouts have said he should be able to stay in center field defensively, and FanGraphs gave him a 60-grade arm. Expecting a Jackson Chourio-esque breakout from any player is probably not a good idea, but Lara is someone whom it would not be a surprise to see make the biggest jump in the rankings by this time next year. Brewer Fanatics, what do you think of prospects 16-20? Leave a comment below and give us your opinion! View full article

At one point I saw it said that it's seen as comparable to A ball or A+ ball. I watched a lot of T-Rats and Mudcats games last year and was able to watch one full game of the Bandits. Personally, I'd probably place it around that range as well.

It's one of the most impressive arms I've ever seen on a minor league outfielder. Pretty accurate too, which is even more impressive.

Along with the Brewers trading for Matt Bush (converted SS) last year and Javy Guerra (converted SS/2B) this offseason, I honestly think it's something the Brewers see as a market inefficiency. My guess is they even drafted someone like Wiemer knowing that if they couldn't figure out the swing, they could move him to the mound where he'd be near triple digits with the fastball.

I edited the whole thing some, as I hit enter before I meant to lol. I think this offer at least keeps them on the phone but they do likely want more. It likely depends on how they view Avina honestly. Some organizations are likely salivating over his hard hit data. But others are likely pretty weary of his K rate. Some probably are in both camps lol. Tyler Black could be subbed in for Garcia too. If it came down to it though, I would probably include one of the three you mentioned.

Non Tendered: Brent Suter, Luis Perdomo, Trevor Gott, Jandel Gustave, Adrian Houser Trades Trade #1: Milwaukee Trades: Ethan Small, Eduardo Garcia, Jace Avina, Israel Puello Toronto Trades: Danny Jansen Brewers receive their starting catcher the next two years and the Jays get a mix of solid prospects. They may ask for a Tyler Black instead of a Garcia or something like that. I'm not sure this gets it done. But I think it keeps the Jays interested. Trade #2 Milwaukee Trades: Keston Hiura, Zavier Warren Kansas City Trades: Dylan Coleman Brewers receive a cost controlled reliever who has done quite well in the majors, and has good underlying data on Statcast. Royals receive a couple first base or DH only players with pretty interesting bats. Trade #3 Milwaukee Trades: Rowdy Tellez Minnesota Trades: Caleb Thielbar Brewers acquire a lefty reliever that's gotten very good results and the Twins get a bat that can sort of take over the Miguel Sano spot that will likely be opening up. Partially just making this trade to get to the budget... I don't think I'd make this if I wasn't trying to get closer to the budget. Free Agent Signings Signing #1 Jose Abreu (2 Years, $28 million total) Brewers get their 4 hitter and starting first baseman, where he's a big upgrade defensively over Rowdy. Going with $12 mil the first year and $16 mil the second, because Wong will be off the books after 2023 (also to cheat and help me get closer to meeting the budget ?) Final Roster: Catcher: Danny Jansen ($3.7M) 1B: Jose Abreu ($12.00M) 2B: Kolten Wong ($10.00M) 3B: Luis Urias ($4.30M) SS: Willy Adames ($9.20M) LF: Sal Frelick (0.70M) CF: Garrett Mitchell ($0.70M) RF: Hunter Renfroe ($11.20M) DH: Christian Yelich ($26.00M) 4th OF: Tyrone Taylor ($0.71M) Utility: Mike Brosseau ($1.20M) Utility: Esteury Ruiz ($0.7M) Backup Catcher: Victor Caratini ($2.80M) SP1: Corbin Burnes ($11.40M) SP2: Brandon Woodruff ($11.00M) SP3: Freddy Peralta ($3.74M) SP4: Eric Lauer ($5.20M) SP5: Aaron Ashby ($1.20M) RP: Dylan Coleman ($0.7M) RP: Peter Strzelecki ($0.7M) RP: Matt Bush ($2.00M) RP: Hoby Milner ($1.00M) RP: Devin Williams ($3.2M) RP: Jake Cousins ($0.7M) RP: Justin Topa ($0.7M) RP: Caleb Thielbar ($2.40M) Payroll is 1.85% over budget but feels reasonable, So I will not be making more moves to get below ?

It's pretty funny looking back at the replies throughout the season now haha. Obviously nobody could've expected anywhere near the second half he had, so not ripping anyone it's just funny to look back with hindsight in my favor! When we made the trade I told people I thought he could finish somewhere in the top 10 in MVP with 25ish homers... Still, never would've imagined a year like this...